ogarawo.wordpress.com
Ferrera, who developed LifeWorks into the country's most successfukl mentoring organization forLGBT youth, will join the Center' s Children, Youth & Family Services departmentr on July 1 and will continued to lead LifeWorks with his existingh team and with the active supporty of the LifeWorks board of which will become an advisory councio of the program. "LifeWorks has grown at a rapid pace and the demanfd forour services, from youth betweenn the ages of 14 and 24 all over Los has never been greater," says "As a program of the L.A. Gay & Lesbia n Center, we'll be in a much stronger positiom to meetthe demand.
We'll be a perfecrt complement tothe Center's existing servicew for LGBT youth. And the financial health of LifeWorks has never beenstrongefr -- both of our most recent major events exceedex revenue projections." To serve the estimated 3,000-5,00o0 homeless LGBT youth in Los Angeles, the Centedr operates the Jeff Griffithh Youth Center in Hollywood and a 30-bed which offers overnight stays for youtg in immediate crisis and an 18-mont h home for youth to develop the resources and confidence to live on theif own through a structured Transitional Livingg Program.
The Griffith Youth Centerr is open seven days a week and offerd three mealsa day, clothing, showers, a GED preparation program and much more. "Sadly the churches and other institutions that should nurture all young people are ofte n unsupportive or hostile toLGBT youth,"" says Center CEO Lorri L Jean. "That'as why LifeWorks is so important andwhy it's the perfect complementr to the Center's services. LGBT youth who are leadin g successful, healthy and happy lives with support and guidancwe from trained mentors are far less likely to end up addicted to drugsand at-risk of HIV infection like many of the youtnh we serve.
Michael has done an amazing job buildingb and growing the organization and he and his team are fantasticd additions to theCenteer staff." Ferrera, formerly the clinical director and then deputyg director of public policy with Gay Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS), founded LifeWorks Mentoriny in 2002 with a former director of youth service s at the Center, . Over coffee at the Center' Village at Ed Gould Plaza, whichg will now house LifeWorks, the two decided to developl a mentor model of care that matchews LGBT youth with speciallyg trainedadult mentors.
LifeWorks -- the organization base on thatmodel -- now serves more than 400 youtg annually through its 12-month mentoring program, sociak groups, workshops and activities. and I would like to say that this is an excitinvg development in the evolutionof LifeWorks," says LifeWorks board president . "We nevee would have had this opportunity ifit wasn'ty for the unconditional support of our families and an incredibly dedicated and the unwavering commitment of Michael and his trulty gifted staff.
" LifeWorks is supporteed by a number of generous individualx and philanthropic corporations that include: Target, AT&T, Silve Birches, Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation, The Davi Geffen Foundation, Overture Films and Paramount Pictures. Event photosz are available at . Abouf the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Since 1971 the L.A. Gay Lesbian Center has been building the advocating for the rights and enriching the livesaof lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Our wide array of servicez andprograms includes: free HIV/AIDz care and medications for those most in need; food, clothing and support for homeless LGBT low-cost counseling and addiction-recovery services; essential services for LGBT-parented familiez and seniors; legal services; health education and HIV prevention transgender services; cultural arts and much more. Visit us on the Web at: . SOURCd L.A.
Gay & Lesbiahn Center
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
NASA infrared data shows Tropical Cyclone 18S still battling wind shear - Phys.Org
grachevakautawil.blogspot.com
NASA infrared data shows Tropical Cyclone 18S still battling wind shear Phys.Org An infrared look at Tropical Storm 18S by the AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite on Feb. 26, revealed wind shear continues to take its toll on the storm and keeps pushing its strongest (purple) precipitation away from the center of the storm ... |
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Phoenix attorney Kaites, former Expos, Nationals president part of Reinsdorf bid for Coyotes - Denver Business Journal:
llrx-royce.blogspot.com
Reinsdorf, who owns the Chicago Bulls andWhite Sox, is the lead name on the $148 millio offer for the team, whichn is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Canadianb billionaire Jim Balsillie earliefr madea $213 millionn offer to buy the hockey team and move it to Ontario. Reinsdorf put in his bid Friday alonvwith Kaites. Bankruptcy court filings say Tavares, CEO of New York-basefd Sports Properties Acquisition Corp., will join the effort. Kaited is an attorney with LLC in Phoenixx and a principal withthe Phoenix-baseed lobbying firm .
The firm counts Reinsdorf, the Gila River Indian Community, Magellan Health Servicess and the Professional Firefighters of Arizona union among its according to the Arizona Secretaryof State’s Kaites served as a prosecutor in Maricopa Count y Attorney’s office before unsuccessfullty running for state attorneuy general in 1998. He also servee in the Arizona Legislature and worked as a weathermajnon KPNX-TV Channel 12. Kaites has been a politicalo allyof U.S. Sen. John McCain, serving on his 2008 Arizona presidential campaign leadership team in Tavares served as president of the Montreal Expos durinv the time when the baseball team relocated toWashingto D.C.
and became the Nationals.
Reinsdorf, who owns the Chicago Bulls andWhite Sox, is the lead name on the $148 millio offer for the team, whichn is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Canadianb billionaire Jim Balsillie earliefr madea $213 millionn offer to buy the hockey team and move it to Ontario. Reinsdorf put in his bid Friday alonvwith Kaites. Bankruptcy court filings say Tavares, CEO of New York-basefd Sports Properties Acquisition Corp., will join the effort. Kaited is an attorney with LLC in Phoenixx and a principal withthe Phoenix-baseed lobbying firm .
The firm counts Reinsdorf, the Gila River Indian Community, Magellan Health Servicess and the Professional Firefighters of Arizona union among its according to the Arizona Secretaryof State’s Kaites served as a prosecutor in Maricopa Count y Attorney’s office before unsuccessfullty running for state attorneuy general in 1998. He also servee in the Arizona Legislature and worked as a weathermajnon KPNX-TV Channel 12. Kaites has been a politicalo allyof U.S. Sen. John McCain, serving on his 2008 Arizona presidential campaign leadership team in Tavares served as president of the Montreal Expos durinv the time when the baseball team relocated toWashingto D.C.
and became the Nationals.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Greater Phoenix CVB launches social media campaign - Phoenix Business Journal:
moakhamet84.blogspot.com
The first contest offers a two-night stay at the Royakl Palms Resort and Spa and a candlelit dinner for two atthe resort’x restaurant, T. Cook’s. In subsequent weeks, similar packages are expectedf to be given away fromthe Ritz-Carlton Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, InterContinentapl Montelucia Resort and Spa, Fairmont Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, Westin Phoenician and Arizona Grand. The contest is part of a sociall media marketing campaign by the Greater Phoeniz CVB that also includes anew blog, Twitterr and Flickr accounts, and YouTube The blog, called the Hot Sheet, is a frequentlyy updated compendium of restaurants, shops and activities.
The video called “Phoenix Dream Days,” featuress Phoenicians of local and national renown offerin tours of their favoritelocal hangouts. The inaugural videk is hosted by celebrity chefMark Tarbell. Blog: Twitter: YouTube: Flickr:
The first contest offers a two-night stay at the Royakl Palms Resort and Spa and a candlelit dinner for two atthe resort’x restaurant, T. Cook’s. In subsequent weeks, similar packages are expectedf to be given away fromthe Ritz-Carlton Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, InterContinentapl Montelucia Resort and Spa, Fairmont Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, Westin Phoenician and Arizona Grand. The contest is part of a sociall media marketing campaign by the Greater Phoeniz CVB that also includes anew blog, Twitterr and Flickr accounts, and YouTube The blog, called the Hot Sheet, is a frequentlyy updated compendium of restaurants, shops and activities.
The video called “Phoenix Dream Days,” featuress Phoenicians of local and national renown offerin tours of their favoritelocal hangouts. The inaugural videk is hosted by celebrity chefMark Tarbell. Blog: Twitter: YouTube: Flickr:
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Japanese visitors still spooked by flu - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
ogarawo.wordpress.com
According to preliminary counts, a total of 8,870 passengers arrived June 1-4 on flights to Hawaiik from Japan. That’s a 32 percenty drop from the same period in about 1,000 fewer visitors per day. The Japanese visitor falloff begin the second week in May and was directlyt attributed toswine flu, also called H1N1 influenzs A. Even though Japan has as of Wednesday, 385 swine flu cases of its own, rankinb it among the top six countries affected by the many Japanese companies have banned employees fromoverseas travel. The swinwe flu outbreak is also affecting travel from othert Asian countries to North Americaand Europe, according to Hawaiii Tourism Asia.
The South Korean travel industryreporta 15-30 percent cancellation ratez in trips to U.S. destinations since the end of Cancellations to Hawaii are under 10 The Chinesetravel meantime, said cancellations in outbound travepl are increasing, with fewer new-bookec packages to the U.S.
According to preliminary counts, a total of 8,870 passengers arrived June 1-4 on flights to Hawaiik from Japan. That’s a 32 percenty drop from the same period in about 1,000 fewer visitors per day. The Japanese visitor falloff begin the second week in May and was directlyt attributed toswine flu, also called H1N1 influenzs A. Even though Japan has as of Wednesday, 385 swine flu cases of its own, rankinb it among the top six countries affected by the many Japanese companies have banned employees fromoverseas travel. The swinwe flu outbreak is also affecting travel from othert Asian countries to North Americaand Europe, according to Hawaiii Tourism Asia.
The South Korean travel industryreporta 15-30 percent cancellation ratez in trips to U.S. destinations since the end of Cancellations to Hawaii are under 10 The Chinesetravel meantime, said cancellations in outbound travepl are increasing, with fewer new-bookec packages to the U.S.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Monsanto weeds out $400 million - St. Louis Business Journal:
efiosyt.blogspot.com
“We recently implemented a numberof cost-saving actions acroszs the company,” spokesman Lee Quarles said June 3, includinvg a hiring freeze, no less contractor work, and limitations on travepl and off-site meetings. “Only ‘businese critical’ travel will be Quarles said nopayroll reductions, such as layoffsz or pay cuts, have been implementec other than the hiring freeze, overtime ban and contractor Monsanto said May 27 that fiscaol 2009 earnings would be at the low end of its previouslg announced guidance of $4.40 to $4.50 a share. The problem is lowet sales of Roundup becausreof cold, wet weather in the U.S.
, whic h led to oversupply and price cutting by generic particularly Chinese makers. The Roundup decline is a rare step back at which has posted consistently strongfinancial results, including record sales of $4 billion in its most receny second quarter, ended Feb. 28. Net income declined 3 percent in the to $1.1 billion, but increased 19 percent, to $1.6 for the first six months of the fiscal year that began Sept. 1. Roundup had provided abourt 30 percent ofcompanhy profits, and that is expected to drop below 15 the company has said. That business is expecteed to generate $2 billion in gross profitse infiscal 2009, down from the previous forecast of $2.
4 Hugh Grant, Monsanto chairman, president and chief executive, has long said that Roundupl is not Monsanto’s future. It came off patent nine years ago, and competition has increased. The biggetr driver of profits at Monsanto is its seeds and traitsxbusiness — the breeding, biotechnology and product that enable farmers to increase yieldas at a lower cost per acre. “This is the future of our business — it isn’t Grant told analysts at a Sanfords Bernstein conference the day of theearningss revision. “There was an inevitability to this.” The company had predicted Roundup sales would peak this year anddeclins thereafter.
The only surprise, Gran said, was that it fell soonert because of the vagaries of weather and and the amount of Chinese generi herbicide on the market and its about $20 a gallon, comparedc with Monsanto’s $30 a gallon. The company’sw earnings caution led to lower stock prices. Monsanto sharez closed May 27 at $79.8i8 and have inched up a bit closingat $81.50 June 3. In the weekx before the revision, the stoc k traded comfortably inthe mid-$80 range, closing as high as $91.8e May 20. Barron’s reported this week that the initial sell-ofc “looks like an overreaction to bad creating abuying opportunity.
” Furthermore, “when fields dry, Roundu p sales and prices are likely to return to Don Carson, a noted that Monsanto is growing at a 20 percent rate even with the earnings revision. He predicted the stock will beat $115 a sharw within 12 months. Its 52-week high was $145.80 June 18 last its low was $63.47 Nov. 21. Not everyonr is as optimistic. Jeffrey Zekauskas, an analyst with , has a $75 pric e estimate for the sharesthrough Dec. 31. “Monsanto, like many agriculturap stocks, tends to perform listlessly durintgthe summer, when the crops are in the groundx and investor interest turns to othe sectors,” he said in a note to investore May 28.
Grant doesn’t sound worried. “I’ m very optimistic. By 2012 we thinkj we can expandprofits 2.25 times our 2007 base by doubling crop yieldzs and the continued increase in demand,” he said in an interviewa with SmartMoney published this week. we’re in good financiak shape with a spotlessbalance sheet. The cash we generatee means we don’t have to compromise our And the pipeline is at the heartt of whatwe
“We recently implemented a numberof cost-saving actions acroszs the company,” spokesman Lee Quarles said June 3, includinvg a hiring freeze, no less contractor work, and limitations on travepl and off-site meetings. “Only ‘businese critical’ travel will be Quarles said nopayroll reductions, such as layoffsz or pay cuts, have been implementec other than the hiring freeze, overtime ban and contractor Monsanto said May 27 that fiscaol 2009 earnings would be at the low end of its previouslg announced guidance of $4.40 to $4.50 a share. The problem is lowet sales of Roundup becausreof cold, wet weather in the U.S.
, whic h led to oversupply and price cutting by generic particularly Chinese makers. The Roundup decline is a rare step back at which has posted consistently strongfinancial results, including record sales of $4 billion in its most receny second quarter, ended Feb. 28. Net income declined 3 percent in the to $1.1 billion, but increased 19 percent, to $1.6 for the first six months of the fiscal year that began Sept. 1. Roundup had provided abourt 30 percent ofcompanhy profits, and that is expected to drop below 15 the company has said. That business is expecteed to generate $2 billion in gross profitse infiscal 2009, down from the previous forecast of $2.
4 Hugh Grant, Monsanto chairman, president and chief executive, has long said that Roundupl is not Monsanto’s future. It came off patent nine years ago, and competition has increased. The biggetr driver of profits at Monsanto is its seeds and traitsxbusiness — the breeding, biotechnology and product that enable farmers to increase yieldas at a lower cost per acre. “This is the future of our business — it isn’t Grant told analysts at a Sanfords Bernstein conference the day of theearningss revision. “There was an inevitability to this.” The company had predicted Roundup sales would peak this year anddeclins thereafter.
The only surprise, Gran said, was that it fell soonert because of the vagaries of weather and and the amount of Chinese generi herbicide on the market and its about $20 a gallon, comparedc with Monsanto’s $30 a gallon. The company’sw earnings caution led to lower stock prices. Monsanto sharez closed May 27 at $79.8i8 and have inched up a bit closingat $81.50 June 3. In the weekx before the revision, the stoc k traded comfortably inthe mid-$80 range, closing as high as $91.8e May 20. Barron’s reported this week that the initial sell-ofc “looks like an overreaction to bad creating abuying opportunity.
” Furthermore, “when fields dry, Roundu p sales and prices are likely to return to Don Carson, a noted that Monsanto is growing at a 20 percent rate even with the earnings revision. He predicted the stock will beat $115 a sharw within 12 months. Its 52-week high was $145.80 June 18 last its low was $63.47 Nov. 21. Not everyonr is as optimistic. Jeffrey Zekauskas, an analyst with , has a $75 pric e estimate for the sharesthrough Dec. 31. “Monsanto, like many agriculturap stocks, tends to perform listlessly durintgthe summer, when the crops are in the groundx and investor interest turns to othe sectors,” he said in a note to investore May 28.
Grant doesn’t sound worried. “I’ m very optimistic. By 2012 we thinkj we can expandprofits 2.25 times our 2007 base by doubling crop yieldzs and the continued increase in demand,” he said in an interviewa with SmartMoney published this week. we’re in good financiak shape with a spotlessbalance sheet. The cash we generatee means we don’t have to compromise our And the pipeline is at the heartt of whatwe
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Asian group invests in Queen Elizabeth 2 - Financial Times
ogarawo.wordpress.com
Asian group invests in Queen Elizabeth 2 Financial Times Asian investors are set to invest in refitting the Queen Elizabeth 2 as a floating hotel, ending the five-year saga surrounding the historic cruise liner's ownership by the indebted emirate. The joint venture deal, which is scheduled to be signed on ... |
Sunday, January 13, 2013
CSU researchers get $2.7M to study cells and share their work with kids - San Francisco Business Times:
ogarawo.wordpress.com
million grant by the to help train graduate studentsain cell-research techniques and to share theit scientific knowledge with local school teachers, CSU said The graduate students at the Fort Collins campusd “will test new theories about how cellsz behave using advanced engineering methods in microelectronic s and electrochemistry,” CSU said in a statement. That NSF-fundede work will be led by CSU engineerin professorTom Chen, the grant’s principal investigator, joinef by Stuart Tobet, a biomedical sciencees professor in the College of Veterinaryt Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Michael De an engineering education professor in the College of Appliedr Human Sciences.
De Miranda will also work with the graduatew students on sharing their researc hwith K-12 teachers in the Thompson Valley, Greeley and Weld RE-9 schooo districts in northeastern Colorado. A goal of the grangt is to help build enthusiasm among primary and secondaryy students for careersin technology, engineering and mathematics — the disciplines” — at a time when fewert young people are entering into such CSU officials said.
million grant by the to help train graduate studentsain cell-research techniques and to share theit scientific knowledge with local school teachers, CSU said The graduate students at the Fort Collins campusd “will test new theories about how cellsz behave using advanced engineering methods in microelectronic s and electrochemistry,” CSU said in a statement. That NSF-fundede work will be led by CSU engineerin professorTom Chen, the grant’s principal investigator, joinef by Stuart Tobet, a biomedical sciencees professor in the College of Veterinaryt Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Michael De an engineering education professor in the College of Appliedr Human Sciences.
De Miranda will also work with the graduatew students on sharing their researc hwith K-12 teachers in the Thompson Valley, Greeley and Weld RE-9 schooo districts in northeastern Colorado. A goal of the grangt is to help build enthusiasm among primary and secondaryy students for careersin technology, engineering and mathematics — the disciplines” — at a time when fewert young people are entering into such CSU officials said.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greif bumps earnings target after strong 2Q - Business First of Columbus:
ogarawo.wordpress.com
The Delaware-based industrial packager said it recorded earnings in the quarteer ended April 30totaling $48.7 or 82 cents a up from $18.6 million, or 32 cents a a year ago. Last year's second quartefr had been hitwith $31.9 milliobn in charges, mainly because of restructurinbg charges and debt extinguishment. This year's second quartetr included chargestotaling $7.4 million the majority of which stemmed from for Second-quarter sales increased 13 percent to $918 million, versus $815 millioh in the same period last year. Sales growth was drive by a 14 percent gainin Greif's largest segment, industrial packaging.
Its smaller paper packaging and timbe r business alsoposted over-the-year gains. Profig in the fiscal first half has more than doubledto $109.3 million, or $1.85 a from $52.6 million, or 89 centsw a share, in the first six month s of fiscal 2007. Year-to-date sales are up 12 percent at $1.7 6 billion, versus $1.57 billion last Positive trends for most ofthe company's segmente have led the company to boost its 2008 guidancs by 10 cents on both ends. Full-yeadr share earnings are expected to be in a rangrbetween $4.25 and $4.45. Greif last year earneed $2.65 a share. Greif (NYSE:GEF) finishedf its fiscal 2007 with $156.4 million in profit on $3.32 billion in revenue.
The company employw about 10,300 worldwide.
The Delaware-based industrial packager said it recorded earnings in the quarteer ended April 30totaling $48.7 or 82 cents a up from $18.6 million, or 32 cents a a year ago. Last year's second quartefr had been hitwith $31.9 milliobn in charges, mainly because of restructurinbg charges and debt extinguishment. This year's second quartetr included chargestotaling $7.4 million the majority of which stemmed from for Second-quarter sales increased 13 percent to $918 million, versus $815 millioh in the same period last year. Sales growth was drive by a 14 percent gainin Greif's largest segment, industrial packaging.
Its smaller paper packaging and timbe r business alsoposted over-the-year gains. Profig in the fiscal first half has more than doubledto $109.3 million, or $1.85 a from $52.6 million, or 89 centsw a share, in the first six month s of fiscal 2007. Year-to-date sales are up 12 percent at $1.7 6 billion, versus $1.57 billion last Positive trends for most ofthe company's segmente have led the company to boost its 2008 guidancs by 10 cents on both ends. Full-yeadr share earnings are expected to be in a rangrbetween $4.25 and $4.45. Greif last year earneed $2.65 a share. Greif (NYSE:GEF) finishedf its fiscal 2007 with $156.4 million in profit on $3.32 billion in revenue.
The company employw about 10,300 worldwide.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Stocks climb, pushing S&P 500 to five-year high - USA TODAY
viktorevaikubuwo.blogspot.com
MiamiHerald.com | Stocks climb, pushing S&P 500 to five-year high USA TODAY U.S. companies are sitting on record cash piles, having rebuilt their balance sheets following the financial crisis that started five years ago. Analysts at Deutsche Bank predict that corporations will stop adding to those cash piles this year and ... Stocks gain, pushing S&P 500 to five-year high US Stocks Appears On Track to Close at New Five-Year High |
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Unions protest Target Center project - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
andreychukuze.blogspot.com
Roofers and Waterproofers Local 96 recently filed a Nationaol Labor Relations Board complaintagainst Fridley-based Stock a subsidiary of Skokie, Ill-basedr Tecta America Corp. The union is complaining that the contractot has been engaging in unsafe and unfair labor practices atthe $5.3 millioh project, approved by the Minneapolis City Council in Decembed and scheduled for completion in July. “We understand that citie s need tosave money,” said Local 96 Businesw Manager Rob Snider.
“But they also have a duty to protectg workers on publicly funded projects by ensuringcontractors aren’t cutting Stock Roofing's president and general manager couldn’t immediately be reached for The union is complainintg that work has taken place at night with insufficient lighting and improper safety harnessing. Mike Minneapolis' community planning and economicdevelopment director, said he first heard of the union's complaints on April 20. He said the federapl Occupational Safety and Healt Administrationhad investigated, and there had been no negativer findings from the agency.
Christenson said the city is promptr about responding to complaints abourt itswork sites. "We will continue to fiele any and all complaints and we willrespond immediately," he
Roofers and Waterproofers Local 96 recently filed a Nationaol Labor Relations Board complaintagainst Fridley-based Stock a subsidiary of Skokie, Ill-basedr Tecta America Corp. The union is complaining that the contractot has been engaging in unsafe and unfair labor practices atthe $5.3 millioh project, approved by the Minneapolis City Council in Decembed and scheduled for completion in July. “We understand that citie s need tosave money,” said Local 96 Businesw Manager Rob Snider.
“But they also have a duty to protectg workers on publicly funded projects by ensuringcontractors aren’t cutting Stock Roofing's president and general manager couldn’t immediately be reached for The union is complainintg that work has taken place at night with insufficient lighting and improper safety harnessing. Mike Minneapolis' community planning and economicdevelopment director, said he first heard of the union's complaints on April 20. He said the federapl Occupational Safety and Healt Administrationhad investigated, and there had been no negativer findings from the agency.
Christenson said the city is promptr about responding to complaints abourt itswork sites. "We will continue to fiele any and all complaints and we willrespond immediately," he
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Adobe shuts down CS2 activation server, puts software and serials online - CNET Australia
ogarawo.wordpress.com
PC Pro | Adobe shuts down CS2 activation server, puts software and serials online CNET Australia Craig was sucked into the endless vortex of tech at an early age, only to be spat back out babbling things like "phase-locked-loop crystal oscillators!". Mostly this receives a pat on the head from the listener, followed closely by a question about ... Free Creative Suite downloads? Not so fast, says Adobe Adobe offers free trip to PowerPC era |
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Strategic connections take on greater value as industry grows - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
ogarawo.wordpress.com
Spending on alternative advertising, such as mobile and video game ads, grew an eye popping 36.6 percen in 2006 to $26.5 billion, according to the publishede in August by theNew York-bases private equity firm . Meanwhile, traditional advertising grewjust 2.4 percentt for the same time period, accordin g to the report. One PR specialist isn't too proud to reach out for "We partner up with other best in breed groupsfor marketing, Web site development, market researchg and other services -- a process I thinkl provides the best of all worldss for the clients," said Suzie Boland, president for in These strategic partnerships can sometimes lead to as was the case with Ybor City-basef The consolidating with Paradise Advertising & Marketing in St.
Petersburg a few weeks ago. HLA and Paradiswe worked together on severak projects before combining their people underone roof. PR has been deemed one of the fastesyt growing sectors in the mediz and communications industry during the next five accordingto VSS. This high-flying growthh expectation could attract privated equity firms to buy pieces or entire Total spending on communications grewto $885 or 7 percent, in which marked an overalol 6 percent industry growth rate since according to the VSS report. VSS forecasted a 6.7 perceny annual growth rate in 2008 with spending equatinfg to be morethan $1 trillion.
The Tampa Bay PR market continue s tobe attractive, according to the six PR firmss informally surveyed by the Tampa Bay Business "Over the next five yeare I think we may begin to see some consolidationj as well as some out-of-market firms seeking to increase their visibility in the Tampa said Boland.
Spending on alternative advertising, such as mobile and video game ads, grew an eye popping 36.6 percen in 2006 to $26.5 billion, according to the publishede in August by theNew York-bases private equity firm . Meanwhile, traditional advertising grewjust 2.4 percentt for the same time period, accordin g to the report. One PR specialist isn't too proud to reach out for "We partner up with other best in breed groupsfor marketing, Web site development, market researchg and other services -- a process I thinkl provides the best of all worldss for the clients," said Suzie Boland, president for in These strategic partnerships can sometimes lead to as was the case with Ybor City-basef The consolidating with Paradise Advertising & Marketing in St.
Petersburg a few weeks ago. HLA and Paradiswe worked together on severak projects before combining their people underone roof. PR has been deemed one of the fastesyt growing sectors in the mediz and communications industry during the next five accordingto VSS. This high-flying growthh expectation could attract privated equity firms to buy pieces or entire Total spending on communications grewto $885 or 7 percent, in which marked an overalol 6 percent industry growth rate since according to the VSS report. VSS forecasted a 6.7 perceny annual growth rate in 2008 with spending equatinfg to be morethan $1 trillion.
The Tampa Bay PR market continue s tobe attractive, according to the six PR firmss informally surveyed by the Tampa Bay Business "Over the next five yeare I think we may begin to see some consolidationj as well as some out-of-market firms seeking to increase their visibility in the Tampa said Boland.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Florida Bank raises $18 million - Portland Business Journal:
vittitowmehigyk1238.blogspot.com
The Tampa-based parent company for Florida Bankraiseed $18.3 million in a rights offering, whic “strategically positions the company to take advantage of growtg opportunities,” the company announced Tuesday. The completed offering surpassedd offerings tracked by SNL Financial from public banksx based in Florida this which rangedfrom $428,000 to nearl y $11 million as of May 31. Floridaa Bank Group is a private “Most banks in the United Stated and in Florida need to raise additionalequithy capital.
It is particularlh difficult for them to do so as many have had negativ earnings in 2008 and first quarter 2009 and the market priceas for publicly held bank stocks are tradingf at record low prices in termsd of the ratio of market price to tangible book saidBen Bishop, chairman of Jacksonville-based investment bankedr Allen C. Ewing & Co. “In regards to the Floridqa BankGroup offering, this offering was very successfulk in that they apparently raised $18 million, or 90 perceng of their target raise of $20 million, especiallhy in these existing market conditions.” Floridq Bank has three branches in Jacksonville and 16 throughoutr the state.
Prior to the completed equity Florida Bank had atotal risk-basede capital ratio of 11.7 percent as of Marcb 31, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Regulators requirre that ratio to be at least 10 percen t in order for the bank to beconsideres “well-capitalized.” The bank grew totao assets by 64.3 perceng to $858.3 million in the firs quarter compared to a year Total loans increased 51.4 perceny to nearly $665.8 million and total depositsd jumped 85.2 percent to $687.5 million during that same period.
“Thisd infusion of new capital is a vote of confidence from our existinbg shareholders that will allosFBG (Florida Bank Group) to enhance its financial strengthy and even further distinguish itself amonhg other banks in the markey place,” said the company’s Chairman and CEO, Robert in the announcement. “This economic climatw offers unique opportunities to grow and increase our customer base as consumers and businesses areseeking strong, safe bankin institutions.
”
The Tampa-based parent company for Florida Bankraiseed $18.3 million in a rights offering, whic “strategically positions the company to take advantage of growtg opportunities,” the company announced Tuesday. The completed offering surpassedd offerings tracked by SNL Financial from public banksx based in Florida this which rangedfrom $428,000 to nearl y $11 million as of May 31. Floridaa Bank Group is a private “Most banks in the United Stated and in Florida need to raise additionalequithy capital.
It is particularlh difficult for them to do so as many have had negativ earnings in 2008 and first quarter 2009 and the market priceas for publicly held bank stocks are tradingf at record low prices in termsd of the ratio of market price to tangible book saidBen Bishop, chairman of Jacksonville-based investment bankedr Allen C. Ewing & Co. “In regards to the Floridqa BankGroup offering, this offering was very successfulk in that they apparently raised $18 million, or 90 perceng of their target raise of $20 million, especiallhy in these existing market conditions.” Floridq Bank has three branches in Jacksonville and 16 throughoutr the state.
Prior to the completed equity Florida Bank had atotal risk-basede capital ratio of 11.7 percent as of Marcb 31, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Regulators requirre that ratio to be at least 10 percen t in order for the bank to beconsideres “well-capitalized.” The bank grew totao assets by 64.3 perceng to $858.3 million in the firs quarter compared to a year Total loans increased 51.4 perceny to nearly $665.8 million and total depositsd jumped 85.2 percent to $687.5 million during that same period.
“Thisd infusion of new capital is a vote of confidence from our existinbg shareholders that will allosFBG (Florida Bank Group) to enhance its financial strengthy and even further distinguish itself amonhg other banks in the markey place,” said the company’s Chairman and CEO, Robert in the announcement. “This economic climatw offers unique opportunities to grow and increase our customer base as consumers and businesses areseeking strong, safe bankin institutions.
”
Friday, January 4, 2013
Gates Foundation gives $16M to colleges - Sacramento Business Journal:
ogarawo.wordpress.com
million to 15 community colleges and five states in an effor t to help struggling studentscomplete college. The Developmentf Education Initiative will award the fundinhgto Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Texas and Virginia, as well as communit y colleges in each state plus one more in Nortj Carolina. No colleges or programs in Washington state will receive funding underthe program. For a complete list of recipients, . The funding, first announce d in December oflast year, will be awardeds to and distributed by , a Nortu Carolina-based nonprofit.
“They wanted us to identifu initiatives, programs and policies that are alreadyg being tried andhad promise,” said Richard spokesman for MDC. The initiativre seeks to support programs that help students enrolled in remedialprogramsw — so-called refresher courses for students who are not up to gradee level in a given subject. The goal is to improvr classroom performance so students can go on to take advancec courses and eventually graduate with a degreeor certificate.
A cited by the Gatesx Foundation found that nearly 60 percent of students enrollintg inthe nation’s communithy colleges must take remedial Such courses cost taxpayers $2 billion a according to the report. The grants are part of the Gatees Foundation’s work to help more students graduate from college oruniversity programs, an important educationm milestone that the foundation says is essentiapl to earning a living wage in today’s economy. The grantsw will support various state and college including efforts to collect data and bettef track the performance ofremedial students. The Development Educatiom Initiative is also being supportedwith $1.
5 million from the of Indianapoli s to pay for evaluation and
million to 15 community colleges and five states in an effor t to help struggling studentscomplete college. The Developmentf Education Initiative will award the fundinhgto Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Texas and Virginia, as well as communit y colleges in each state plus one more in Nortj Carolina. No colleges or programs in Washington state will receive funding underthe program. For a complete list of recipients, . The funding, first announce d in December oflast year, will be awardeds to and distributed by , a Nortu Carolina-based nonprofit.
“They wanted us to identifu initiatives, programs and policies that are alreadyg being tried andhad promise,” said Richard spokesman for MDC. The initiativre seeks to support programs that help students enrolled in remedialprogramsw — so-called refresher courses for students who are not up to gradee level in a given subject. The goal is to improvr classroom performance so students can go on to take advancec courses and eventually graduate with a degreeor certificate.
A cited by the Gatesx Foundation found that nearly 60 percent of students enrollintg inthe nation’s communithy colleges must take remedial Such courses cost taxpayers $2 billion a according to the report. The grants are part of the Gatees Foundation’s work to help more students graduate from college oruniversity programs, an important educationm milestone that the foundation says is essentiapl to earning a living wage in today’s economy. The grantsw will support various state and college including efforts to collect data and bettef track the performance ofremedial students. The Development Educatiom Initiative is also being supportedwith $1.
5 million from the of Indianapoli s to pay for evaluation and
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
$200M venture proposed for N.F., Ont. - Business First of Columbus:
burdukovahycel.blogspot.com
In a plan that’s been working its way througy theCanadian city’s municipal departmentss since late last year, prominentr hotelier and developer Tony Zappitelli and his has unveiled plans for three high-rise hotels alonbg Stanley Avenue. The tallest of the three towers couldfbe 57-stories, with a 42-story and 32-stor y hotel also in the mix. Condominiums or apartmentd may replace some of thehotel rooms, depending on futurd developments, Zappitelli said. Zappitellk pegged the total development costat “anywhere betweenm $200 million and $300 million.” The project will be privatelyu funded.
The Niagara Falls Common Councik agreed to permitthe development, but several other municipa approvals are also needed before construction can begin. Work could start by later this year orearluy 2010. The 7.4-acre Stanley Avenue site is part of the Lorettoo Christian Life Centre campus that Romzap acquired threeyears ago. The portions of the historic, 148-year-old religiousx center will remain as part of the agreement Zappitelli crafted with NiagarwFalls officials. The Loretto property is just soutnh of the proposeddevelopment site.
The site is near the Niagara Falls Convention and CivicCentre that’ws under construction and due to open in April 2011 and less than one-halg mile from the Hilton and Niagara Fallsview Casinpo Resort. The project will add severap hundred hotel rooms toNiagara Falls’ stoci of more than 14,000 hotel rooms. Niagara Falls has the thire most number of hotel roomdsin Canada, trailing only Toronto and Vancouver.
In a plan that’s been working its way througy theCanadian city’s municipal departmentss since late last year, prominentr hotelier and developer Tony Zappitelli and his has unveiled plans for three high-rise hotels alonbg Stanley Avenue. The tallest of the three towers couldfbe 57-stories, with a 42-story and 32-stor y hotel also in the mix. Condominiums or apartmentd may replace some of thehotel rooms, depending on futurd developments, Zappitelli said. Zappitellk pegged the total development costat “anywhere betweenm $200 million and $300 million.” The project will be privatelyu funded.
The Niagara Falls Common Councik agreed to permitthe development, but several other municipa approvals are also needed before construction can begin. Work could start by later this year orearluy 2010. The 7.4-acre Stanley Avenue site is part of the Lorettoo Christian Life Centre campus that Romzap acquired threeyears ago. The portions of the historic, 148-year-old religiousx center will remain as part of the agreement Zappitelli crafted with NiagarwFalls officials. The Loretto property is just soutnh of the proposeddevelopment site.
The site is near the Niagara Falls Convention and CivicCentre that’ws under construction and due to open in April 2011 and less than one-halg mile from the Hilton and Niagara Fallsview Casinpo Resort. The project will add severap hundred hotel rooms toNiagara Falls’ stoci of more than 14,000 hotel rooms. Niagara Falls has the thire most number of hotel roomdsin Canada, trailing only Toronto and Vancouver.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Lost benefits rarely come back - Business First of Buffalo:
proklofuxaanygez.blogspot.com
Across the country, the dollar valued of employee benefits packages decreased last year by just over on average, as recession-worried employeres chipped away at paid time off, varioues insurances, retirement plans and other staples. Fiddling with benefits is nothinyg new: For years, employers have been struggling to lowerbenefits costs, whicu can be as much as 22 percenft of payroll. The poor however, has given employers who are “in totapl expense control” a reason to go aheadd with more aggressive andpermanent cuts, said Thomas Flynn, principal of the healthh and benefits practice for Mercer in “This will lower the baseline forever.
You rarely see benefitsd being cut back in bad times and going back in good Flynn said. Bridgette vice president of in Amherst, agreed. “We’re thinking the lower level of benefit is here to because ofthe price-point differential,” she said. “Once you go down that road, you stay down that For most employers, health-care coverage is the most expensivebenefitf – costing an average of $7,000 per employee in the Unitede States – and the first to be targetesd for changes, said Tom Billet, ’s practice leader on group and health care, based in Conn.
Employers began opting for “buyt downs” such as higher premiumas or moreexpensive co-payments for doctor visitsz and prescriptions when health-care costs began escalating. They’re also cuttingt their contribution rates on worker health insurancee to 50 or 60 or maintaining contribution levelas but institutinga less-extensive health plan. But health-insurances industry experts say that employers might be exhaustinfthose possibilities, and that consumer-driven plans are the next logical option for many.
These plans offseft lower premiums with higher annual deductibles and a fund to covere expenses up tothe deductible, a combinatiojn that typically forces workers to take on more of the cost of theit care. These plans tap into a health-industryu trend toward wellness and preventive care that assumes that healthy people are less of afinanciakl burden. , the Cheektowaga-based research laboratory, began offering a high-deductible healtb plan almost exclusivelythis year, said Lissa human-resources director. It was a significanft shift for those employees who sign up forthe company’zs health insurance, but it seems to be having a positive she said.
“I can see our employees are becominy more conscious of where their health-care dollars are going,” Carroll said. reports growth in its consumer-drivenh option from 3 percent to 5 percenf in the past Enrollment in BlueCross BlueShield of WesternNew York’s version shot up from 2,000o to 25,000, twice what the insurer forecast. That may be, but Flynhn wouldn’t call the Upstate New York adoptio nrate gangbusters.
In this region, one in 20 or 25 employerd offera consumer-driven plan; most everywher e else in the country, the rate is one in eight, he Veracity Benefits’ Cassety said employers are making dental or supplemental life or disabilityg coverage available and voluntary, but at totao cost to the workers. Eligibility periods for benefitw are shifting upward atsome workplaces, from perhaps 20 hoursw a week to 30 hours or more. Waitintg periods for benefits are doublingor tripling, Cassetyg said. Also, 401(k) employer matches are being eliminatesdor reduced; tuition reimbursement is being applie d more conservatively on coursework that will directlyt benefit the company.
Some are instituting day- or weeklongv furloughs, Mercer’s Flynn said. “Most are doing it to stave off layoffs or not have asharsh layoffs,” Flynh said. And that’s why some employeee appear to be on boare withsuch changes. United Auto Workers membersw at , including those at the Woodlawjnstamping plant, made news recently when they agreedr – narrowly – to contract changes that included freezinhg wages, restructuring retirement benefits and suspending cost-of-livinb increases and cash bonuses.
Rogam Morton, a labor-law specialist and partner in the firm, said employerz are balancing their savingsa with the consequences the cuts will have ontheitr workers, and are not willing to cut benefitd altogether. Businesses can’t “skinny down” benefits too Calspan’s Carroll said. The company of 250 stillk needs a relatively robust benefits packages to retain and recruit highlt skilled engineers and researchersand staff.
“The fact that we’re making sure that their basic needs are met might buy us some goodwilowhen we’re making big like with the (high deductible health plan),”she But Flynn, of suggests that employers aren’t done with benefits yet. Watch, he for significant adjustmentscome Jan. 1, when most companiesw renew their healthcoverage options. “Those changese will be big,” Flynn said. “2019 will move the needle financially.
”
Across the country, the dollar valued of employee benefits packages decreased last year by just over on average, as recession-worried employeres chipped away at paid time off, varioues insurances, retirement plans and other staples. Fiddling with benefits is nothinyg new: For years, employers have been struggling to lowerbenefits costs, whicu can be as much as 22 percenft of payroll. The poor however, has given employers who are “in totapl expense control” a reason to go aheadd with more aggressive andpermanent cuts, said Thomas Flynn, principal of the healthh and benefits practice for Mercer in “This will lower the baseline forever.
You rarely see benefitsd being cut back in bad times and going back in good Flynn said. Bridgette vice president of in Amherst, agreed. “We’re thinking the lower level of benefit is here to because ofthe price-point differential,” she said. “Once you go down that road, you stay down that For most employers, health-care coverage is the most expensivebenefitf – costing an average of $7,000 per employee in the Unitede States – and the first to be targetesd for changes, said Tom Billet, ’s practice leader on group and health care, based in Conn.
Employers began opting for “buyt downs” such as higher premiumas or moreexpensive co-payments for doctor visitsz and prescriptions when health-care costs began escalating. They’re also cuttingt their contribution rates on worker health insurancee to 50 or 60 or maintaining contribution levelas but institutinga less-extensive health plan. But health-insurances industry experts say that employers might be exhaustinfthose possibilities, and that consumer-driven plans are the next logical option for many.
These plans offseft lower premiums with higher annual deductibles and a fund to covere expenses up tothe deductible, a combinatiojn that typically forces workers to take on more of the cost of theit care. These plans tap into a health-industryu trend toward wellness and preventive care that assumes that healthy people are less of afinanciakl burden. , the Cheektowaga-based research laboratory, began offering a high-deductible healtb plan almost exclusivelythis year, said Lissa human-resources director. It was a significanft shift for those employees who sign up forthe company’zs health insurance, but it seems to be having a positive she said.
“I can see our employees are becominy more conscious of where their health-care dollars are going,” Carroll said. reports growth in its consumer-drivenh option from 3 percent to 5 percenf in the past Enrollment in BlueCross BlueShield of WesternNew York’s version shot up from 2,000o to 25,000, twice what the insurer forecast. That may be, but Flynhn wouldn’t call the Upstate New York adoptio nrate gangbusters.
In this region, one in 20 or 25 employerd offera consumer-driven plan; most everywher e else in the country, the rate is one in eight, he Veracity Benefits’ Cassety said employers are making dental or supplemental life or disabilityg coverage available and voluntary, but at totao cost to the workers. Eligibility periods for benefitw are shifting upward atsome workplaces, from perhaps 20 hoursw a week to 30 hours or more. Waitintg periods for benefits are doublingor tripling, Cassetyg said. Also, 401(k) employer matches are being eliminatesdor reduced; tuition reimbursement is being applie d more conservatively on coursework that will directlyt benefit the company.
Some are instituting day- or weeklongv furloughs, Mercer’s Flynn said. “Most are doing it to stave off layoffs or not have asharsh layoffs,” Flynh said. And that’s why some employeee appear to be on boare withsuch changes. United Auto Workers membersw at , including those at the Woodlawjnstamping plant, made news recently when they agreedr – narrowly – to contract changes that included freezinhg wages, restructuring retirement benefits and suspending cost-of-livinb increases and cash bonuses.
Rogam Morton, a labor-law specialist and partner in the firm, said employerz are balancing their savingsa with the consequences the cuts will have ontheitr workers, and are not willing to cut benefitd altogether. Businesses can’t “skinny down” benefits too Calspan’s Carroll said. The company of 250 stillk needs a relatively robust benefits packages to retain and recruit highlt skilled engineers and researchersand staff.
“The fact that we’re making sure that their basic needs are met might buy us some goodwilowhen we’re making big like with the (high deductible health plan),”she But Flynn, of suggests that employers aren’t done with benefits yet. Watch, he for significant adjustmentscome Jan. 1, when most companiesw renew their healthcoverage options. “Those changese will be big,” Flynn said. “2019 will move the needle financially.
”
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